At the last minute of 2024, we’re doing a rapid fire session – for the first time with rum. Concises tasting notes and a score, that’s it. There are 12 rums on the table, so be sure to start reading this in time or you’ll miss your New Year’s Eve event.
Enmore REV 29 yo 1994 (45,8%, The Colours of Rum 2023, cask #27, 157 btl.)
N: great dusty notes, cigar boxes, Teriyaki sauce, Pu Erh cakes, dried herbs, old leather, red plums and cocoa powder M: sour wood, oiled exotic woods, mint, soy sauce and achovies. Then medicinal notes, dark tea, light tannins and some mineral notes. F: long, herbal notes, liquorice and salt 〉〉〉 Really good, I love the oriental side and the exotic wood influence. Standing out from other Enmores, in a good way.
Long Pond CRV 2009 (42,6%, Plantation for The Whisky Exchange 2019, Tokaji finish, 198 btl.)
N: bright, on honey, candied ginger, green bananas, mead, a hint of musty wood and a big buttery side M: cane sugar, honeyed tea, ripe banana, sultanas and grapes. Also pepper and nutmeg, along with charred oak F: short, rather flavourless, except pears on alcohol with liquorice 〉〉〉 The Tokaji sweetness takes away all of the Jamaican funk. Given the reputation of the three brands on the label, this is quite an underachiever. Score: 74/100
Zuidam 10 yo (52,8%, FRC ‘Dutch Windmill Collection’ 2023, virgin oak cask #1546, 184 btl.)
N: old barrel notes, with toffee, vanilla, coconut cream, flowers and even perfumed spirity notes. M: spicy and spirity, on white pepper, aniseed, liquorice and ginger, with apricots and caramelized notes, along with fresh wood shavings. Still something perfumed F: medium, spicy and woody 〉〉〉 Lightweight, with too much wood influence and missing a clear-cut profile, in my humble opinion. Score: 76/100
Rhum J.M. 9 yo 2014 (48,6%, OB for Kirsch Import 2023, American oak char level 5 #210098, 252 btl.)
N: banana ice cream, pineapple, solventy notes, leather, caramelized herbs M: a lot of varnish again, with greener bananas, grassy notes, mint / menthol, lime, liquorice and herbs F: long and fresh, with salted caramel and orange peels 〉〉〉 A nice all-rounder with marked varnished notes and the agricole grassy notes. Still available, with a discount. Score: 85/100
Rhum J.M. 8 yo 2015 (53,3%, OB for Wu Dram Clan 2023, American oak + French oak, 294 btl.)
N: varnish and young oaky notes again, with darker bananas, coconut, pine refreshener, baking spice and subtle brown sugar M: richer than the 2015. Vanilla, red grapes, menthol and varnish, along with cocoa, liquorice and butter pastry F: quite long, minty and grassy, with roasted nuts and molasses 〉〉〉 I tend to struggle with the woodiness in these J.M. rums and here the French oak seems to highlight the fragrant, mentholated side. Good. Score: 86/100
Caroni 24 yo 1998 ‘Tortuga #3’ (58,1%, Precious Liquors 2023, Mizunara finish #2092, 154 btl.)
N: exotic woods, petrol and tar (in a refined way), dark tobacco leaves, pipe, Cola sweets, moss and mint M: really intense and woody. Nutmeg, menthol and eucalyptus, more Cola, vermouth syrup, dark caramel, olives and liquorice F: long, minty, with black olives, dark syrup, tarry notes and caramel 〉〉〉 Mizunara? Perhaps more minty and herbal than other bottlings indeed, but otherwise just a very typical, tarry Caroni. Score: 90/100
TDL + Foursquare 2006 (58,8%, Zero Nine Spirits ‘Cyberpunk’ 2023, 200 btl.)
N: pineapple, with leather, coconut and cinnamon, cedar wood, caramel and light acetone. M: sweet caramel, hints of Brandy de Jerez, new oak, nutmeg, high alcohol and citrus fruits. Salt and sugarcane. F: long, mentholated, citrusy and spicy, still very wood-driven. 〉〉〉 A mix of rum with young bourbon whiskey? Not bad, but not the 1+1=3 effect I expected either. Score: 84/100
Varela Hermanos 40 yo (59,7%, Fruitful Spirits 2024, cask #82-009, 270 btl.)
N: rich, with a style that resembles sherry casked whisky. Raisins, plums and dates, with tobacco leaves, dark chocolate mousse and nice raspberry ganache M: caramel, more raspberry and Mon Chéri, leather, herbal liqueur, orange peels, honey and banana ice cream F: long, half sweet, half spicy, with chocolate, raisins and coffee notes 〉〉〉 Sweet and fruity but not overdone. Not necessarily my preferred style of rum but if you’re into sherry casks this is outstanding. Available from Master of Malt for instance. Score: 91/100
JMC 15 yo 2007 (64,3%, The Whisky Blues 2022, hogshead #18, 248 btl.)
N: lovely mashed bananas, glue, almonds, acetone and vanilla. Fermenting mango, pineapple and vanilla ice cream. M: quite extreme – huge esters again. Glue, overripe fruits, tangerines, fiery drying tannins, acetone, Szechuan peppers and tapenade. Lots of bananas. Always this yoghurty / creamy undertone and hints of plywood. F: very long, more citrusy now, with a big drying note. 〉〉〉 A feisty funk phenomenon and a massive slap in the face, super fun. Score: 91/100
Hampden DOK 3m 2023 (63,14%, Colours of Rum for German Rum Festival 2024, PX + Oloroso + bourbon casks, 60 btl.)
N: high esters, with petrol and olives, dried herbs and glue but also stewed fruits like peach and pineapple. Some red berries as a side note. M: sharp and dry, with fresh wood and alcohol, along with glue, prunes and limited complexity. F: not too long, on overripe pineapple and harsh esters. 〉〉〉 A great nose but a slightly disappointing, untamed palate. Interesting but not very balanced, even when taking into account the very, very young age. Probably a side project of their recent newmake cask experiment (which I liked better). Score: 82/100
Long Pond 17 yo 2005 (66,1%, The Whisky Blues 2023, barrel #8, 259 btl.)
N: huge esters. Black olives, varnish and nail polish. Then a nice banana and mint combo, aniseed and hints of chocolate. M: rich plummy notes, with liquorice, citrus and tannins. Plenty of glue and petrol. Something perfumed as well, which feels like a flaw. Very intense, up to the point where it becomes slightly synthetic. F: long, estery, now frankly soapy. 〉〉〉 This started great but went downhill as soon as the soapy notes came out. A bit of a slip-up. Score: 78/100
SDS x Los Convidados Satvrnal High Esters rum 2023 (64%, Swell de Spirits 2023, 1000 btl.)
N: bold, new plastics and plenty of black olives, lots of green bananas and vegetal notes, cinnamon, fermenting pineapple. M: creamy, slightly weird and chemical, a bit flat, more plastics and bananas, sour berries, varnish, herbs and mezcal F: long, a bit mineral, with savoury ham in the end. 〉〉〉 Definitely interesting, with potential. Not something I would sip myself, at this point. Score: 71/100